1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to providing outdoor pets with a comfortable shelter during the winter weather. By integrating the designs of the pet shelter structure and the heating system, the heated pet shelter can be shipped, stored and displayed at the retail stores utilizing a minimum of space.
2. Related Art
Numerous patents have been issued relating to pets and more specifically pet enclosures. Among those are pet water beds and pet heating pads. U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,209 issued to Reusche, teaches that electrical pads tend to create hot spots which are areas of localized heat which can expose the pet to possible burns as well as the possibility of electrical fires due to excessive pad heat, caused by the owners adding additional bedding to keep the animal comfortable. U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,349 issued to Carlin for an anabolic recovery heating unit for small animals, addresses the hot spot issue with electrical heating pads. U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,214 issued to Cunningham, addresses the dangers of the animal chewing the electric pad, its controls or its wiring, and the potential dangers of electrocution or fires. Cunningham further points out that flexible vinyl bladders may easily be punctured by tooth or claw with disastrous results and is a primary criticism of pet water beds. The second criticism is the fact that the motion of flexible water support which humans find so comforting is usually unacceptable to the animal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,487B1 issued to Owen addresses the electrocution concern by utilizing a step down transformer to reduce the amount of shock felt by the animal.
U.S. Des. No. 349,980 to Northrop and U.S. Des. No. 366,541 to Bradbum both utilize a two piece design wherein the roof section is inverted and placed in the bottom sections and stacked for shipping and display.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,137 to Stanaland also provides a design for a whelping box in which the roof is inverted and placed in the floor section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,965B2 to Saxe, et al., provides for a two piece pet enclosure in which the roof when inverted and inserted in the upright floor section fits snugly and is capable of a greater number of units being stacked together in a stable stack, as compared to the Northrop, Bradburn, and Stanaland designs, which may not be as stable when several sets are stacked one in another.
At the retail level, all of these types of pet shelters are sold and are typically displayed disassembled on the shelf, with the roofs inverted and inserted into the bases. This is an economical way of displaying the product while minimizing the required shelf space.